Anti-racism protesters occupy Goldsmiths university building
Student activists say they will not leave property until all demands are met
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Anti-racism protestors who have occupied a key building at Goldmiths, University of London, for more than 25 days say they have no intention of standing down until their demands are met in full.
The student activists have taken over Deptford Town Hall – where the uni’s senior management team work – in protest at what they call “interpersonal and institutional racism”.
The 20-strong group took the dramatic action after they say the institution failed to respond to complaints a candidate in upcoming student elections had been racially abused.
“We are here for the long haul if needs be,” student Rehan Abeysekera, a member of Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action, told The Independent. “These are issues that need to be addressed and we are committed to remaining here until they are.”
The group say the recent abuse added to long-standing concerns ranging from a lack of mental health provisions for BAME students to what campaigners call a Eurocentric curriculum and the large attainment gap between white and non-white students.
Figures from 2017-18 show that just 71.6 per cent of BAME undergraduates received a first class or upper second degree, compared to 89.7 per cent of white undergraduates.
Among the protestors' demands are a “strategic plan on how the university plans to tackle racism and the realities of life as a BAME student” and mandatory diversity training for all student-facing staff.
A spokesman for the university said it had listened to the group and had already committed to reviewing its hate crime reporting processes, implementing new staff training and increasing investment in student wellbeing services.
He said: "We hope these steps demonstrate our commitment to improving the experiences and outcomes of all our BAME students.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments